Find out how popular the last name Bowes is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bowes.

Bowes, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bowes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowes in America

Bowes is the 6791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowes surname appeared 4,967 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bowes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bowes to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bowes

The surname BOWES has its origins in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "boga," meaning "a bough" or "a bow," potentially referring to someone who lived near a prominent tree or worked as a bowmaker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BOWES can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bogas" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was well-established in Northern England by the late 11th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, such as Boges, Bogis, and Bowgis, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. The spelling "BOWES" became more standardized during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Interestingly, the BOWES surname is also associated with several place names in England, particularly in County Durham and Yorkshire. For example, the town of Bowes in County Durham is believed to have derived its name from the same Old English root as the surname.

One notable historical figure bearing the BOWES surname was Sir Robert Bowes (1493-1556), a prominent English diplomat and military commander during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. He served as the Captain of Norham Castle and played a crucial role in the Anglo-Scottish conflicts of the time.

Another prominent individual was Sir Martin Bowes (1500-1566), a goldsmith and Lord Mayor of London in 1545. He was known for his wealth and influence in the City of London during the Tudor period.

In the 17th century, Sir Jerome Bowes (1599-1637) was an English traveler and ambassador to Russia, known for his accounts of his travels and his diplomatic missions to the court of Tsar Michael I.

The BOWES family also produced several notable figures in the arts, including John Bowes (1804-1885), an English entrepreneur and art collector who founded the Bowes Museum in County Durham, which houses an impressive collection of European fine and decorative arts.

Finally, Andrew Robinson Bowes (1839-1910) was a British politician and landowner who served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Wensleydale division of the North Riding of Yorkshire from 1892 to 1910.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowes

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bowes.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bowes was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bowes has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bowes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bowes, please contact us.

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